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Germany to reopen borders for EU and UK travelers on June 15 unless situation deteriorates Germany and Belgium will open borders for Schengen and UK travelers on June 15
(about 4 hours later)
The German government has approved plans to lift travel restrictions and reopen borders for EU and UK citizens from June 15, unless the coronavirus situation deteriorates. The Belgium and German governments will reopen their borders and lift travel restrictions for European nationals and UK citizens from June 15, in view of the likely improvement of the coronavirus situation across the continent.
However, Foreign Minister Heiko Maas stressed that a full resumption of travel will have to be gradual. From mid-June, citizens of both nations will also be allowed to travel to the European Union (EU), Great Britain – which is currently in the transition period to leave the EU – and four countries in the border-free Schengen Area: Iceland, Norway, Switzerland, and Liechtenstein.
This year’s summer holidays “won’t have much to do with the past vacations you’ve known; people should remain careful and everybody should not start traveling at once”, he said. However, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas made it clear that the reopening of all travel across Europe will happen gradually and that this year’s holidays will be different from those in previous times.
A travel warning and entry restrictions were put in place in Germany in mid-March, after a spike in infection numbers across continent, particularly in Italy and Spain. Maas says the forthcoming travel season “won’t have much to do with the past vacations you’ve known; people should remain careful and everybody should not start traveling at once”, he said.
Currently, most foreign nationals can only enter Germany for essential transit or if they have a residence permit, and most arrivals are required to self-quarantine. During an announcement on Wednesday regarding further lockdown easing in Belgium, Prime Minister Sophie Wilmès urged citizens to act responsibly to protect themselves and others. “We must not forget, however, that the virus still remains with us,” she added.
Under the new rules, restrictions will be lifted for EU countries, along with the UK, and four non-EU countries that are part of the border-free Schengen zone: Iceland, Norway, Switzerland, and Liechtenstein. The non-essential travel ban was put in place in both nations in mid-March, as the pandemic spread across the continent and the numbers of cases began to rapidly increase in some countries, including Italy and Spain.
From 15 June, Germany will issue individual travel advice for each country, including specific risks and updates on the pandemic situation. From 15 June onwards, Germany’s and Belgium’s Foreign Affairs Ministries will each issue travel advice for those traveling to fellow EU countries. The new guidelines will include information about specific virus risks and help citizens evaluate which regions are best to visit or avoid.
In mid-May, Germany removed border controls with Luxembourg, allowing people to move freely between the two nations. The German authorities abolished border controls with Luxembourg on May 16. Since then, Luxembourgers have been able to enter Germany with no restrictions and are not required to quarantine.
EU foreign ministers will be holding discussions over the next two weeks on gradually easing border controls across the bloc, while minimizing the risk of the infection. The European Commission is expected to decide on the reopening of both internal and external borders in the next two weeks. In May, EU leaders set out a phased plan to reboot travel this summer, with measures intended to minimize the risk of spreading the coronavirus infection.
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